Lincoln Loud's Loud House Survival Guide
by l OmegaInfinity l
Summary: After an accident, Lincoln is left in a coma. With Lincoln in the hospital, and the Loud House decending from organized chaos to just chaos, Lori takes it upon herself to fill in Lincoln's place as peacekeeper until her little brother wakes up. Maybe the book she found in Lincoln's room will help her figure it out... and maybe teach her a thing or two about her little brother.
1. Chapter 1: A Normal Day

**Chapter 1: A Normal Day...**

"When you have a family as big as ours, privacy can be hard to come by. Some days, it's near impossible to have some time to yourself. And if you do manage to get some peace and quiet, you're guaranteed to have it interrupted just as soon as you get comfy.

Weirdly enough, though, sometimes the opposite is true. You can be surround by family, but when everyone is busy with their own things, you can find yourself a little… lost. A little… lonely."

* * *

Lincoln let out another sigh. Today was one of the rare occurrences where despite being a Saturday afternoon with sunlight to burn, he had nothing to do. So, in utter boredom, he just laid on his bed, hoping for something to happen.

His eyes drifted away from the ceiling and around his small room, looking for something to pique his interest.

 _Comic books… read them all. Hand-held video game… beat them all. TV… nothing on. Regular books… boring… and read them all._

His eyes skimmed across the floor, landing on his backpack.

 _Homework._ A shiver went up his spine. _Ugh… I'm not really_ that _desperate, am I?_

…

… _dang it._

With a huff and a groan, Lincoln pulled himself off his bed. He gave his backpack a dirty look, before lugging it onto his desk with some effort. He reluctantly took a seat, pulling books and papers out of his back back.

 _History… boring. English… boring. Math… bleugh. Health… hm, the Workings of the Lower Intestines… gross._

He flipped through a few more loose papers, all of which held little interest to him. Then he paused.

 _Huh… Music homework… 'Write a short song about something important to you.' Huh, I actually started on this already… oh, geez! This is due on Monday_!

Lincoln's eyes widened in worry. He'd been given two weeks to write a song and had completely forgotten about it. He looked over the paper and calmed slightly once he saw what he'd done already.

 _Okay, I got a good chunk of a song here, but… Augh, I don't know what to do from here!_

He could practically feel the light bulb turn on in his head.

 _I'll ask Luna! She could help… maybe help a little too much, but it's worth a shot!_

Lincoln smiled, his day brightening a bit now that he had something to do. He carefully peaked out of his room. Thankfully, there was very little destruction, as his more rambunctious sisters were all outside enjoying a sunny Saturday… though the smell of burning chemicals coming from Lisa's room was a tad concerning.

As he made his way down the hall, homework in hand, he started to hear the soft strums of an acoustic guitar. This made him a little worried. Luna only broke out the acoustic when she was working on her own music.

Sure enough, as he leaned across the doorway to her room, he saw his rocker sister sitting on her bed, hard at work. A simple, slightly scuffed guitar sat in her lap as she picked at it, pausing every few seconds to scribble something in the notebook sitting next to her.

Feeling a little nervous, Lincoln stepped into the room. "Hey, Luna. You busy?"

Luna glanced at him briefly, before turning her attention back to the guitar. "Kinda. What's up, bro?"

"Well, I'm suppose to write a song for music class, and I have a bit written already, but I was hoping you might be able to help me?"

Luna paused mid-chord, giving Lincoln her full attention. To Lincoln's disappointment, she gave him apologetic smile. "Aw, that actually sounds like it would be kinda fun. Sorry, bro, but I don't got the time. There's a big rock contest next week, and a me and my friends want to enter."

Lincoln frowned, tilting his head. "Well, cool, but what's that have to do with helping me right now?"

Luna frowned with him, huffing in frustration. "Well, my friends want to start practicing tonight, but I'm still trying to get the songs just right." She glared down at the notebook, which Lincoln could see was full of music notes, large sections of which having been X'd out. "It's driving me a little nuts."

"Oh," Lincoln said, feeling his bright day start to dim. "Sorry for bothering you, I guess."

Luna watched as Lincoln slumped a bit where he stood, a seed of guilt worming it's way into her gut. "Hey," She called before he left the room. He looked back at her. Luna half-smiled at him. "I have some free time later tonight. Ask me again after dinner, and we can make you something rockin'!"

Lincoln smiled back at her. "Thanks, Luna."

"Anytime, bro. Now, what the heck rhymes with 'gasoline'...?"

Lincoln left Luna muttering to herself as he went back to his room. With a sigh, he tossed his homework back on his desk, before flopping back on his bed.

 _Well, that was a bust. Figures that the one time I ask Luna to help with music is the one time she's too busy. Hmm… I guess I can see what my other sisters are up too… It'll give me something to do at least. Hmm… Lynn and Lana are at the park… Mom took Lily and Lola, with her to the store… well, that leaves five other sisters that might have something to do._

* * *

Lincoln poked his head into the darkened room, the blinds pulled shut for maximum darkness. Still, the hall gave off enough light for him to make out his dreary sister on her bed, notebook in hand. "Hey, Lucy. Whatcha doing?"

Lucy looked at him. (Or at least, he thought she did. Hard to tell with the way her bangs always covered her eyes.) "I am working on a poem about solitude and the death of the soul." She dropped out in her usual monotone.

Lincoln blinked. _Cheery as always,_ he thought sarcastically. "Need any help?"

Lucy turned away from him and back at her notebook. "No. Today, I will look inwards on my own blackened soul, and pull from the darkest thoughts that I have buried even from myself."

Lincoln slumped. "Oh. Well, if you _do_ need help, you know where to find me."

"Noted," Lucy said, writing in her notebook. She paused for a moment. "Thank you." She added, sounding like an afterthought.

Lincoln smiled a little as he left the room. _Lucy might creep me out a little, but she's always polite to me… at least when I'm on her good side._

* * *

Lincoln nearly ran into Luan as he neared her door. The comedy-hopeful jumped back once she saw him in her way. "Whoops. Sorry, Lincoln. Crashing into you might have _wrecked_ your day. Haha!"

Lincoln just managed to avoid rolling his eyes. "It's okay, Luan. You heading somewhere?" He asked, just noticing what looked like a suitcase in her hand.

Luan beamed a braces-filled smile. "Yep. I'm taking my weekly trip to the old folks home around the block. Give the old people there something to smile about, and test some new material."

Lincoln perked up. "Oh! Well, think I could come with you and help?"

His heart sunk as she frowned. "Oh, sorry Lincoln. I already planned out a whole one-woman routine. Maybe next time."

As she walked past him, Lincoln gave a halfhearted wave. "Yeah… maybe next time."

* * *

"Hey, Lisa! Need any help?"

The brainiest Loud sister kept her eyes on the bubbling chemicals of her lab. "As a matter of fact, yes. I have been experimenting with a serum that can potentially heal wounds at an accelerated rate. It's untested as of yet, so if you would be willing to…" She looked up from her test tubes, syringe in hand, only to find the doorway empty.

Lisa huffed in annoyance. "Why does no one ever want to be my test subject? It's not like it would kill them. This experiment is meant to help people!"

In her frustration she placed her hands on her hips, accidentally squeezing out a drop of the serum onto the floor. A sizzling sound made her look down.

"Ohh…" Her eyebrows reached her hairline as she stared at the tiny hole that had burned through the floor. She eyed the syringe warily. "Maybe I used too much phosphate."

* * *

Lincoln very carefully edged his way into Lori and Leni's room. Entering the oldest Loud sister's room was a very bad idea, at least when Lori was there, but as he hadn't seen Lori since breakfast, and hadn't seen Leni at all yet, he thought Lincoln thought he was safe.

Though, strangely, the first thing he saw entering the room was a pair of legs wiggling from underneath Leni's bed. Muffled worried mumbling could be heard as well.

"Leni?" Lincoln asked, perplexed.

The legs stiffened, before Leni backed her way out from under the bed. As she straightened up and turned around, Lincoln took a step back.

"Whoa, what happened to you?"

Leni looked utterly exhausted, dark circles under her red eyes. She gave a huge yawn as she tried to focus on Lincoln. "Lori was up all night talking to Bobby. I didn't sleep _at all._ I was hoping to take a nap, but I can't find my sleeping mask anywhere!"

Lincoln looked at her for a moment. He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Leni?" He deadpanned.

"Yeah?" She asked sleepily.

"Can you put your hand on your head real quick, like this?" He put his right hand on top of his head, right above his forehead.

Leni mimicked him, her head tilted in confusion as she did. Her eyes widened when, instead of hair, she felt soft fabric. Feeling around, she realized what it was. "Oh… I left it in the same place as my sunglasses. Thanks Lincoln!" With that, Leni placed her mask over her eyes, and immediately flopped onto her bed, snoring.

Lincoln sighed as he watched her sleep. _Drat. that just leaves… Lori._

Lincoln already knew how that conversation would go before it even began. Still, desperate times...

* * *

Not finding Lori upstairs, Lincoln made his way down the stairs. He was nearly at the bottom when...

"Dad! I'm taking the van to the mall!"

Lori just walked into the living room, keys in hand.

"Okay, sweetie!" Mr. Loud's voice came from the den. "Be careful on the road!"

"Always am!" As the eldest Loud sister went to the front door, she noticed Lincoln at the foot of the stairs. "What are you looking so sad about, twerp?" She asked, looking more annoyed than anything.

Lincoln looked at her, defeated. "Nothing, just bored. You heading to the mall with Bobby?"

Lori sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately, no. Bobby got a new job at the gas station across town and is working today. I'm just going to do some browsing."

Lincoln perked up instantly. "Oh! Could I come?"

Lori pretended to think about it for a moment. "Um… no. I'm going to the mall to have some fun, not babysit."

Lincoln's frustration started to boil over. "Come on, please. I'll be good! I'm going nuts around here with nothing to do!"

Lori rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just go play with your creepy friend Clyde?"

Lincoln huffed sadly. "He and his dads took a trip to visit his aunt down south. He's going to be gone for two weeks. I've got nothing to do here. I've read all my comics, there's nothing on TV; I'm about ready to try and do my homework. You hear that? I'm about ready to do my homework out of boredom! Homework!"

Lori actually blinked in shock. "Can't you find something to do with one of our sisters?"

"I tried that already. Everyone's busy."

Lori's eyes softened a little at that. She was quiet for a moment, before letting out a long-suffering sigh. She turned towards the den, calling out. "Dad, I'm taking Lincoln with me!"

"Okay, honey! You keep an eye on him!"

"I will!" She turned back to Lincoln, who was staring up at her in relief. She leaned over him, glaring. "Look, we get there, you go where I go, you do what I say, and if I give you the _look_ , you stop talking. Got it?"

Lincoln gulped nervously. "Got it."

"Good. Let's go."

Lincoln followed her out the door, a smile on his face. _Well, it's not what I expected, but it's better than doing homework._

* * *

 _I should have just done my homework._

Apparently, when Lori said 'do what I say', she had already had a plan in mind. Lincoln grunted as he tried to balance what felt like dozens of bags in his arms. It was a miracle he could still see where he was going. The crowd apparently took pity on him, because, despite the usual Saturday rush of people, he didn't run into anyone.

"Keep up, Lincoln! I want to get to the car, these bags are heavy!"

Lincoln sent a glare he knew Lori wouldn't see at the _two_ bags in Lori's hand, the other one holding, what else, her cell phone. He'd be impressed with how she could walk through the crowd while never looking up from her phone if he wasn't so utterly annoyed.

 _Where does she even get the money for all this stuff anyway?_

As they neared the mall exit, a he caught certain storefront out the corner of his eye. He lit up as an idea hit him. "Hey, Lori! Can we stop a sec?"

Lori huffed in annoyance. "What?"

Lincoln shifted the bags just enough that he could point towards the store. "Can we stop in the comic shop real quick."

Lori took one look at the comic book shop, the windows plastered with comic posters and superhero cutouts, and gagged. "Ew. No." She turned around to keep walking.

"Wait!" Lincoln just managed to get in front of her, the mountain of bags wobbling. "Please? I won't take long."

"Lincoln, _no_. I will not be caught dead going into nerd central."

"Come on! I'll carry your other bags for you! Just five minutes, please!"

Lori glared at him for a full minute. Normally, she would have stuck to her guns, but… she knew he hadn't had the best day… and he'd just be bored again once they got home.

She groaned. " _Finnnne_. Just five minutes."

Lincoln beamed. "Thanks Lori." He ran off towards the store, bags still in arm.

Lori followed slowly calling after him. "I'm not paying for anything!"

Lincoln got lucky, someone was leaving right when he got to the door, so he didn't have to deal with opening it with his arms full. Wasting none of his limited time, he ran right up to the counter. "Hey, Jen!"

Behind the counter, a young woman with short red hair looked up from the comic in front of her. Green eyes squinted through her squared glasses, looking the mountain of shopping bags before her up and down. "Okay, since when did shopping bags start talking, and how do they know my name?"

Lincoln laughed as he shifted the bags around, turning so she could see him. "Jen, it's me!"

The girl, Jen, blinked, then smiled. "Hey, Lincoln! Been a while! Didn't recognized you behind all the…" She paused, eyebrow raising as she looked at one of the bag labels. "Valerie's Secret bags?" She smirked down at Lincoln. "You trying to tell me something, man?"

Lincoln's face went beat red. "Wha-No! No no no, these aren't mine! I'm carrying them for my sister Lori!"

Jen hummed. "Ahh, I get ya. Got you playing pack mule, huh?"

Lincoln scowled. "Yep."

Jen chuckled at his misfortune. "I feel for ya, man. My sister's pulled the same thing on me when I was your age. Let's see, Lori… which one is that?"

"Oldest. Uh…" Lincoln glanced back at the front of the store, bobbing his head. "That's her."

Jen turned towards where he'd indicated, seeing a girl with thick, blonde hair tapping away on her phone, ignoring everything around her. The girl suddenly looked up, not a Jen, but at a rather heavy set, pimple faced teen looking at her from across a rack of comics. Her eyes narrowed, her lips moving, and while Jen couldn't hear what she said, whatever it was made the teen jump and sent him scrurring towards the back of the store. The girl went back to her phone like nothing happened.

"That's your sister?" When Lincoln nodded, Jen gave the girl a quick onceover. "Not bad," she stated, an interested look in her eyes.

Lincoln rolled his eyes. "Don't bother, Jen. She already has a boyfriend."

Jen raised an eyebrow at him. "They serious?"

"Considering that she can't go twenty minutes without hearing from him, and she never, _ever_ , shuts up about him…

"Ugh. Lovie-Dovies. Enough said. So," Jen switched gears, clapping her hands. "If your sister is anything like mine, I'm betting you don't have a lot of time. What are you looking for?"

Lincoln looked around the store, a little lost. "I didn't really come in here with anything in mind. Got anything good?"

Jen thought for a moment. "Hmm… Ah!" She snapped her fingers, then pulled a stack of comics from underneath the counter. She flipped through a few of them, grabbing one in particular. She turned the cover towards Lincoln. "Here we go. Newest from Awe Comics."

Lincoln looked at the comic. " _The Revengers_?"

Jen nodded. "Yep. A whole crew of Superheroes, kicking butt and taking names. A new favorite of mine."

Lincoln lit up. "Awesome! That's perfect!" He fidgeted awkwardly for a few seconds, before realizing that he couldn't reach his pockets with all the bags in his arms.

Jen chuckled. "Need help?"

Lincoln nodded sheepishly, sticking out his hip. "Front left pocket."

Jen smirked as she leaned over the counter, pulling a few crumpled bills from his pocket. "Four bucks. Lucky, that's just how much need. By the way, we have a deal going right now. Buy any first issue and you get issue two free." She bagged both comics, placing them carefully on top of the mass of bags.

Lincoln beamed. "Really? Awesome! Thanks, Jen."

"Anytime, man." Jen waved as Lincoln walked away. "Don't be a stranger!"

Lincoln walked back to Lori. "Okay, we can go now."

"Ugh, _finally_." She huffed, dumping her two bags on top of what Lincoln was already holding. _Lincoln grunted in annoyance, but didn't say anything. I guess I did say I'd carry them…_

The two made their way out of the mall and started across the parking lot. "So who was that you were talking to?" Lori suddenly asked.

Lincoln blinked, not expecting Lori to actually ask him something. "Oh, that was Jen. She works there on weekends, and she always knows what are the best comics."

Lori hummed in response, but didn't say anything else as they made it to the van. Lori clicked the door unlock, opening the rear door. "Put everything in the back seat, and be careful not to put the heavy bags on top of- Oh!" Lori cut herself off as her cell phone started to ring. In an instant, she had it pressed to her ear. "Hello? Bobby! Hey, I- Bobby? Bobby are you there? I- oh…" She glared at her phone. "Stupid dead zone. Bobby? Hey give me one… oh come on…"

Lincoln watched annoyed as Lori walked away from the van in search of a cell signal, then looked helplessly at the bags in his arms. "Don't put the heavy bags on top of what?" After a second, he shrugged, starting to place bags in the van. When he placed the seventh bag on top of another one, he winced when he heard something shatter. He glanced quickly at Lori, who was still searching for a signal in the center of the car aisle. He looked franticly between the bags in the van and the ones still in his arms, trying to figure out what he'd just done.

His thoughts were broken by the sound of squealing tires.

His head turned in surprise at the sudden sound, looking further up the parking lot.

Lincoln dropped the bags, his stomach dropping with them.

"Lori!"

* * *

"Bobby? Are you still there?" Lori glared at her phone again. "Come on, I just bought this thing. Bobby, can-"

" _Lori_!"

Lori's head snapped around at Lincoln's panicked yell. She looked up just in time…

To see the car speeding towards her.

Time slowed. Lori's brain screamed at her to move, but her body wouldn't listen. She just stared wide-eyed at the mass of heavy metal and screaming rubber headed for her.

Something hit her from behind. The next thing Lori knew, her face hit the pavement. Then…

 _THU-THUNK! THUNK! Thud._

The dull sound of metal hitting something soft, then something hitting the ground. Tires screeched, then only eerie silence.

Lori, her breathing heavy, shakily pushed herself to her knees. She dimly realized that she was still alive. But that didn't make sense. She didn't move. She froze. She wouldn't even have noticed the car unless Lincoln...

Her breath hitched.

 _No_.

Lincoln… Something… someone hit her… someone _pushed_ her…

Lori's head snapped around, and she instantly felt her soul shatter.

On the ground, just a few feet away, a small form was sprawled out on the pavement. A small form wearing an orange shirt, and that had a head of white hair.

White and _red_.

"No… no, no… Lincoln!" Lori screamed, pushing and stumbling to her feet, before crashing to her knees next to her brother. "Lincoln?" She whispered, disbelievingly.

 _Oh god.. his leg's not suppose to bend that way… wait, is he breathing? Wha-What do I do? What am I supposed to…_

Franticly, Lori looked across the ground. Thankfully, mercifully, her phone lay within arms reach. She grabbed it, not even noticing that she hung up on her still going call, and hit three numbers.

"C'mon, C'mon… Yes, my brother's been hit by a car! I need help… The Westside Mall parking lot… please, please hurry… I… I don't think..."

A groan.

Lori dropped the phone, looking down. Pained black eyes looked up at her.

"L-Lori…?"

"Lincoln!" Lori yelled. She took his hand, squeezing. "I'm right here. Help is coming, just hold on."

Lincoln blinked wearily. "A-Are...are you… okay?"

Lori blinked. Her mouth moved as she tried to say something. She somehow managed a smile, brushing a strand of hair out of his face, doing everything she could to ignore the red stickiness that came off on her fingers. "Just hang on, little brother. You're going to be just…"

The slam of a car door. Squealing tires.

Lori looked up to see taillights. The scent of burned rubber filled the air as a blue car hurried away from them, disappearing around the corner.

Before Lori could dwell on that, the sound of sirens started to near.

"You hear that, Lincoln. They're almost here. You're going to be fine. You…" Lori looked back down at him, her heart stopping.

Lincoln's chest had stopped moving. A puddle of red was forming under him.

"Lincoln? Lincoln, wake up. Lincoln? _LINCOLN!_ "

 **A/n: Well… this is a thing.**

 **This story just kind of hit me when I watched the show and realized just how much the Loud sisters depend on Lincoln on a daily basis, and I started to wonder how they could deal without him being there. Should be intresting if nothing else.**

 **Please let me know how I did. Early reviews are the most important, because they let me know how I did, what worked, what didn't, and what I need to keep in mind for the future. I really hope I did the Loud Family justice, since I love them all so much.**

 **This isn't the only story I have going at the moment, so I'm not sure how often updates will be. I hope not too long. See you all then!**


	2. Chapter 2: With a Bad End

**Chapter 2: ...With a Bad End**

 ***Knock-Knock***

"Hey, Bro, you in there?" Luna rapped her knuckles on Lincoln's bedroom door. When there was no answer, she opened the door anyway. "You better be wearing pants, bro." She said as she stepped into the tiny bedroom.

One quick glance around was all it took to see that Lincoln wasn't there. "Huh," Luna muttered to herself, scratching her head. "Guess he's downstairs."

"Lincoln's not in the house."

"Gah!" Luna yelped as she jumped back. She spun around, narrowing her eyes at the head of black hair peeking around the door. "Dang it, Lucy! Stop doing that! It's freaky."

Lucy's head tilted up, Luna guessing that she was looking into her eyes. "It's not my fault if you can't see what lurks in the shadows" She droned. "Plus, I was here first."

Luna huffed, then tilted her head. "What are you doing in here, anyway?"

"Waiting for Lincoln. The center of my soul contains nothing but a blank void, with nothing noticeable to be seen."

Luna raised an eyebrow, leaning away from her creepy little sister. "O-kay… and that means?"

Lucy stared blankly at her for a moment, before her pale cheeks reddened ever so slightly. "I can't think of anything for my poem. Lincoln offered to help me, but I couldn't find him. I was waiting for him to come back."

Luna let out a sound of understanding, a smirk tugging at her lips. Lucy might give her the creeps most of the time, but whenever the dark girl tried to talk 'normal', she tended to be rather cute, in a dorky kind of way. Then she blinked, Lucy's words registering. "Wait, you couldn't find him? Anywhere?"

Lucy nodded. "Upstairs, downstairs, attic, basement, backyard; I don't think he's home."

Luna groaned. "Aw, man! Figures that he disappears right when I finish my song." She let out a huff of a sigh. "Aw well. Guess me and him can work on his song after dinner like we planned. You think there's any soda left in the fridge?" She asked, looking down at Lucy.

The dark girl shrugged. "Doubtful. Mom said she'd pick some more up from the store, though."

"Might as well check." Luna said, leaving the room. A few seconds later, she heard the door close, footsteps following her. She glanced back at Lucy. "You need something, sis?"

Lucy walked past her. "I'm thirsty."

Luna stared after her, then shrugged and followed her dark little sister down the stairs, figuring it was just Lucy being Lucy.

The kitchen was empty when they reached it, unsurprising given that half of the family was out at the moment, a rather rare occurrence. Luna pulled open the fridge, her heart sinking at how bare it was. With a family their size, food disappeared almost as fast as it arrived. Still, a little digging, and Luna managed to find two cans of soda hidden behind the leftover meatloaf.

"Okay, Lucy, you want the root beer, or the diet grape?" She asked holding them both out.

Lucy grabbed the grape soda. "The diet grape. It's dark in color, but is empty in substance."

Luna raised an eyebrow at her. "You sure it's just not because you like grapes?"

Lucy said nothing, just taking a long sip of soda. "... no comment."

Luna smirked, leaning against the kitchen counter. Much as Luna loved all her sisters, Lucy was the one she found to be the most fun to be around, mostly from the reactions other people had to her morbid words, which was hilarious so long as you weren't on the receiving end of them. Part of Luna always wondered if Lucy acted the way she did just to screw with people. She'd never ask, of course, on the chance she was wrong. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Lucy's feelings by asking if the the way she was was just an act. If Lucy just really liked being all dark and dreary, more power to her.

"A dark cloud will descend on the land, and we shall all pray for the light to return."

...though it'd be nice if she'd tone it down a bit.

Luna looked down expectantly at Lucy, taking a sip of her soda. "Any particular reason?" She asked, a little curious.

Lucy looked up at her. "It's a line from my newest poem. I couldn't think of anything that rhymes with 'return'."

Luna nodded in understanding. "I getcha. Had the same problem with my song. Finally figured I'd rhyme 'gasoline' with 'never seen.'" She frowned. "Still don't think it sounds quite right."

"You should ask Lincoln to look it over. He's a master with the way of rhyme."

Luna blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Lucy nodded seriously. "There have been times where I agonized for hours over the incompletion of a poem, but just a few seconds with Lincoln set me on the path to a masterpiece."

Luna took a second to decode Lucy's Goth back to english. "Huh. Dude was asking me for help with his song. Maybe I should have asked him for help with mine."

Lucy hummed deeply, sipping her soda.

The sound of a car engine entered through the kitchen window, before cutting off. The sound of running drew louder, towards the back door. It flew open with a bang. A blur of pink shot through the kitchen.

"Hey, Lola, what-" Luna tried to ask.

"Can't talk! Inspiration!" The two caught only the briefest glimpse of a gap toothed, much-to-wide smile, before Lola blurred out of the room, followed by a cloud of dust and… glitter?

Luna looked down at herself, groaning. She was covered head to toe in reflective pink specs.

"The sparkles. They burn." Lucy deadpanned, the glitter even more pronounced on her black clothing."

"Lola!" Mrs. Louds voice called from outside, the woman herself appearing seconds later, baby Lily in one arm and a sack of groceries in the other. "I asked you to-" The mother of eleven let out a sigh. "And she's gone." Mrs. Loud then noticed Lucy and Luna. "Oh, girls, can you give me a hand?"

Luna gave her a thumbs up. "Whatcha need, mom?" Lucy gave a nod, confirming her help as well.

Mrs. Loud sighed in relief, putting the bag on the counter. "Luna, please help me unload the car. And Lucy, be a dear and watch Lily for me."

Luna gave a nod, already moving towards the door. Lucy sighed, taking Lily from her mother. As Mrs. Loud followed Luna back to the car, Lucy looked down at her youngest sister. "What manner of torture shall you subject me to today?" Lily giggled at her, grabbing a tiny fistful of Lucy's glitter-filled black hair. "Ow." Lucy droned emotionlessly.

"So I'm guessing Lola found another dress in the fashion magazines at the store?" Luna asked as she reentered the kitchen, arms full of brown bags.

Mrs. Loud gave a goodnatured sigh, similarly loaded down. "Yes, and all she could talk about on the way home was how she just had to make one just like it. I'd hoped she'd help me unload the car but…"

"She was already in the zone. Don't worry, mom. I got you covered." Luna chuckled as she opened the refrigerator, trying to find a place for everything.

"Thank you, dear, I…" She was interrupted by the phone ringing in the living room. "Oh, I better get that." Mrs Loud walked out of the room, leaving Luna to fill the fridge.

Luna didn't mind, emptying out the paper bags one by one, occasionally making a comment based off of what she found. "Score! Chunky Choco Blasters!" She said with a fist pump, setting the box of snack cakes aside.

At the other end of the kitchen, Lucy had sat down on the floor across from Lily, rolling one of Charles' tennis balls towards her, only to have the giggling baby pick it up and chuck it as hard as she could back to the dark girl… meaning it flew about a foot before bouncing and rolling the rest of the way. The corner of Lucy's mouth pulled up ever so slightly as they played.

It was a rare moment of peace in the Loud House.

Which, as usual, was quickly shattered… though not in a way any of them could have ever expected.

"Hello, Loud residence… Lori? Lori, what… Sweetie, slow down, I can't understand you."

The quick shift in her mother's voice made Luna pause, turning her head towards the living room doorway. From the corner of her eye she saw Lucy do the same, the tennis ball bouncing off her shoe and rolling away as Lily gave a confused gurgle.

"Lori, what… wait, _what_ happened to Lincoln? Oh… oh, god… I… I… _Leonard!_ "

Luna jumped like she'd been shocked. Her mother _never_ called their father by his name, let alone scream it in such a panic. Lucy did as well, her eyes widening so much that they were just visible through her bangs. The two sisters looked at each other, their eyes meeting for just a moment, before bolting for the living room, Lucy scooping up a baffled Lily in the process.

They reached the living room at the same time Mr. Loud did, though the two sisters froze at the sight before them. Mrs Loud was staring down at the house phone held in her trembling hand, covering her mouth in the other one. She was breathing in deep, choppy puffs of air, the corner of her eyes welling up in unshed tears.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Mr. Loud asked as he went to her side, looking freaked out by his wife's state.

Mrs. Loud turned her head, holding out the phone to him. "L-Lori… a-and Lincoln, they…. Lincoln got… he…" Her voice was suddenly cut off by a choked sob as she buried her face into her husband's shoulder.

Mr. Loud, surprised and shocked by this action, fumbled to grab the phone before it tumbled out of her loose grasp. Wrapping an arm around his wife, holding her close, Mr. Loud put the phone to his ear. "Lori? Lori, what happened?... oh… _oh, no…_ " Mr. Loud slumped where he stood, a look of shock and dread on his face.

Pounding feet drew Luna's attention from her distraught parents. She turned towards the stairs seeing Lisa, Lola, and a still-groggy Leni standing at the top, leaning against the railing. While Lola was confused, Lisa's eyes widened in complete shock at the sight of her parents. To Luna's great surprise, however, it was Leni who seemed to grasp the situation the best, fear and concern in her suddenly very awake eyes.

After a few seconds of silence (except for, to Luna's rocketing nerves, Lori's panic-fueled voice coming through the phone) Mr. Loud took a deep breath. He straightened up where he stood, grim determination replacing everything else on his face. "Lori… Lori, listen to me. Stay there, me and your mother are on our way right now. We'll be there as soon as we can. Just do whatever the doctors tell you and try to stay calm, okay sweetie? Okay… goodbye."

Mr. Loud hung up the phone, placing it back onto the table it came from. Still holding his wife, he took a deep breath, before turning towards the stairs. "Leni, get dressed and ready to leave, _now_."

The sheer force behind his voice made Leni gulp, her giving a quick nod before scrambling up the stairs. "Uh, yeah, sure."

Mr. Loud then sung his head around towards Luna, who felt a chill as his hardened eyes met hers. "Luna, while we're gone, you're in charge."

There was a collective jaw drop from the younger Loud sisters, which Luna would have been a part of had she not been shocked numb.

 _Luna_ in charge? Luna had never been put in charge, _ever_! Heck, Leni hadn't even been put in charge yet, and she was older!

"Me?" Luna squeked out in disbelief.

Mr. Loud simply nodded, releasing his wife as he walked across the room to Luna. He put both hands on her shoulders, looking her dead in the eye. "You're in charge. I want you to call Lynn and tell her to bring Lana home, then call Luan and do the same. Watch your sisters, keep them safe until we come home. Okay?"

Luna could only nod, her eyes wide.

Mrs. Loud, finally getting a hold on her emotions, went into the kitchen, Lucy having to quickly move out of her way. A very cold feeling was forming in the dark girl's gut, and she didn't like it one bit. Lily, seeming to notice the tension in the air, reached a chumby arm out towards her mother. "Gah?"

Mrs. Loud came back out almost instantly, car keys in hand. Seconds later, Leni stumbled down the stairs in her usual outfit, her sunglasses sitting crookedly on her head.

Seeing this, Mr Loud let go of Luna's shoulders before speaking to the room at large. "Now, all of you, behave for Luna. She is in charge, you all do what she says. Understand?"

Stunned murmurs of confirmation came from around the room. Apparently good enough, Mr Loud started towards the door, Mrs. Loud following him. He looked up the stairs, waving. "Leni, let's go."

Leni swallowed, hurrying past Lisa and Lola's shocked faces and following her parents out the door. Luna followed them to the door, watching as they went down the porch and towards the driveway.

"Dad," She heard Leni start to ask, worry plain in her voice. "What's going on?"

Just before they were out of earshot, Luna heard him answer… and felt her blood turn to ice when she did.

"Lincoln was hit by a car. He's in surgery."

* * *

 **A/n: Well… apparently you all like this… cool! I hope I can keep the momentum going.**

 **Let me know what you think, and I'll see you all next time!**


	3. Chapter 3: Forgetful Comfort

**Chapter 3: Forgetful Comfort**

Leni drummed her fingers on her knee as she looked out the window, watching the tall downtown buildings blur passed her. Normally she'd be gawking at the huge towers of glass and steel, something she, or any of her siblings, only got to see up close on very rare occasions, but for once, they held no interest to her.

Lincoln was hit by a car. He was hurt. So bad he needed _surgery_.

Leni frowned, her eyebrows coming together in thought. Surgery… it took Leni a moment to remember what that was. She'd never had surgery done to herself before. As far as she could remember, no member of her family had. But Leni knew what it was. There were a few shows on T.V. she liked to watch that took place in hospitals, like the one about that really cranky, kind of sad doctor with a limp. They showed surgery being done all the time on T.V. That was when someone was sick, or hurt, to they cut them open and…

Leni suddenly felt queasy. Unwanted images of sharp objects, blood, and oddly shaped, dark colored body parts what were _not_ suppose to be outside the body filled her mind.

Leni grimaced, tempted to flip down her sunglasses. They were a lifesaver when the shows got to much to watch, blocking out the messy images on screen.

Surgery was messy, scary, gross, dangerous…

And Lincoln was having it. Right now.

Against her will, Leni's mind brought up a scene from a show, of someone laying on the operating table, their chest cut open as the were surrounded by people dressed in funny clothes, with white masks and rubber gloves. Then the image changed, instead of the person from the show, it was her little brother Lincoln lying there, face pale, breathing mask over his face, chest open to the air…

Leni shook her head, hopefully removing the made up memory in the process. She turned her attention towards the front of her mother's van, where her parents sat.

They were… quiet. That was weird. Anytime both of them were driving somewhere, the two of them talked constantly. Things that happened during their day, making plans for the immediate future; sometimes they would spend an entire car trip telling bad jokes to each other.

At least, that's what her siblings said. Leni didn't really get it. She thought her parents jokes were great! A lot easier to understand than some of the ones Luan came up with.

But they weren't doing that now. Now, they just… sat there. Her father kept his eyes firmly on the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel much tighter than normal. Her mother stared straight ahead, not really focused on anything in particular, keeping her arms wrapped around herself.

Leni wanted to say something. She wanted to ask what was going on. How had Lincoln been hit? What else did Lori say over the phone?

Why, out of all the Loud Sisters at home at the time, did they bring her with them?

Leni wasn't blind. She knew she wasn't exactly the… _brightest_ member of the Loud family… and she was okay with that. Her sisters all had something that made them unique. Lisa was smart, Lynn was athletic, Lori was commanding; the list just went on. They all had something that made themselves special. And that was how Leni saw herself: special. Just… not in a way that was very helpful.

Leni frowned as the van traveled onto a bridge, gazing down at the water below.

Lori was out of the question, of course; she was already there. And Luna had to stay at the house to watch the rest of their siblings. That was a little weird, since she'd never been put in charge before… then again, there really had never been an opportunity for anyone other than Lori to be put in charge. Luna would do a good job, though. Heck, she'd probably do a better job then Leni could ever…

Leni blinked.

Wait… Leni was older… didn't it make more sense for her to be the one to watch over everyone?

Leni tried to think about what she would do if she was in charge of her siblings…

Then panicked when she had to actually think how many siblings she had.

 _Lori, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lincoln, Lola, Lisa…_ _wait that's… carry the two… seven! I missed… two?... no, three! Who'd I forget!? Um… wait, wait… Lola… there's two of Lola, isn't there? One likes dresses, and the other likes… dirt, animals, red baseball cap… Lana! That's right, Lana! Okay, then… uh… wait... little, smelly, giggly, loud… Lily! Baby Lily! Okay, that leaves… um..._

Leni's eyes widened in worry. She was missing someone, she knew it! With Lana and Lily, and counting herself, that made… ten. Wait, wasn't that the right number?... no, no, she counted Lincoln in that. There were ten _girls_ , but eleven total. So that meant she was missing a sister… but who? Leni thought hard, her heart beat increasing as she did, but she kept drawing a blank.

 _Wait… blank… blank, like, nothing… like, void… void, black void, black as night, black clothes, black hair… pale skin… Lucy!_

Leni breathed a sigh of relief. Lucy, Lana, Lily. That's who she forgot.

…

She forgot.

Leni's face fell.

She remembered, but she had forgotten… again.

Leni's eyes drifted away from the window, instead fixating on a small brown stain on the vans grey carpeting.

There were few things that Leni hated. Spiders were one. Snakes were another. Flakey boyfriends. People who wore white after Labor Day. Bullies.

But if there was one thing, just on thing that Leni hated about _herself_ , it was her memory.

Usually it wasn't much of an issue. Forgetting where she left something, forgetting the name of certain things; those were minor things, problems that she could figure out with just a little nudge from her siblings.

But… then there was her family.

As much as Leni loved meeting new people, she always dreaded talking about her family. Apparently, having eleven children wasn't very common, and took a lot of people by surprise. So, naturally, the first thing people wanted to know was what her family was like.

If only they knew how hard that was for her to answer.

When she was in the house, it wasn't so bad. With everyone under one roof, it wasn't too hard to remember _who_ looked like _what_ , who had what interests, which siblings shared which rooms. But outside? When everyone was split up, separated all over town?

A few of them were impossible to forget. Lori was her only big sister, Lincoln was her only brother. Then there was Luna and Luan, her first little sisters, and the ones she remembered from her earliest memories. But after Lynn was born, that was when things started getting… hard.

When they were right in front of her, Leni could remember everything about each one of her siblings… well, at least the important stuff. Like, which kind of skin lotion Lucy was allergic to, or where Lisa's spare glasses were. But, once they were out of sight… it wasn't very long before the younger Loud sisters slipped her mind.

Leni frowned at the carpet. _Yeah… Luna was a good choice to be put in charge… at least she'll remember them all._

Leni looked up briefly, her eyes darting between her mother and father. She looked back down, sighing.

 _Did they bring me to help, or… did they just want to keep an eye on me?_

"Finally."

Leni raised her head at the sound of her father's voice, thick with worry. She looked out the window, catching just a tiny glimpse of a tall building seemingly made of blue glass, before the van entered through a small gate, into a large concrete building filled with hundreds of cars.

A parking garage, Leni remembered after a few seconds.

It took an agonizing five minutes, the van driving up four floors, before they finally found an open parking spot. Mr. Loud opened his door, cursing under his breath as it slammed into the SUV next to them.

The next ten minutes were a blur as Leni trailed behind her parents. An elevator trip to the first floor, a stop in the main lobby, then another elevator to the third floor; it seemed to Leni like the hospital had been built for no other reason than to confuse people trying to find their way in a hurry, with all the long hallways and identical rooms.

Leni hugged herself as they passed by an older woman in a wheelchair. She breathed in through her nose, instantly regretting it. She didn't like hospitals. They smelled… fake. Like the building was trying to smell like a school or a home, but was somehow… off.

She looked between her parents, trying to keep up with they're not-quite-running, but-faster-than-walking pace. The silence was starting to get to her. The Loud parents were… well, loud. They were always talking and joking, always with a smile on their faces. They weren't suppose to be like this. All quiet and tense, their faces expressionless, save for the tightness in her mother's lips, like she was trying to hold something in.

It was a relief when, finally, they were pointed in the right direction: a small waiting room, the walls painted a tannish, yellow color. Several padded chairs were littered throughout the room in groups of three or four, with a large brown couch pressed up against the far wall. And sitting on that couch…

Leni froze in the doorway as she took in her older sister. Lori looked... broken. Her legs were pulled up onto the couch, pressed against her chest as her arms wrapped around them. Her head was down, her face pressed against her knees.

"Lori?" Mr. Loud called gently as he and his wife stepped into the room.

Lori's head snapped up, and Leni flinched when she saw her face. Dark lines of black and blue ran down her cheeks, the remnants of her ruined makeup. Her eyes were red and puffy, a slight sheen in them proving that there were more tears yet to fall. Her chest heaved with deep shaky breaths as she quickly stood up. "Mom… Daddy… I..." The dam burst as Lori threw herself at her father, who quickly wrapped her in a hug.

"Shh, shh… it's okay, sweetheart, it's okay," he whispered in her ear. Mrs. Loud moved forward, putting her arm around her daughter as well.

Leni took a few steps into the room, fidgeting from foot to foot. She felt very out of place as she took in her parents and older sister, not really sure what she was suppose to be doing.

They all just stood there for a few minutes, Lori's quiet sobbing the only sound in the room. It was Mr. Loud who broke the silence. "Lori… what happened?"

Lori shuddered as she took a ragged breath. She pulled away from her father's hold, bringing her eyes up to meet his. She held his gaze for only a moment before her eyes fell to the floor. "We… we were in the parking lot. Lincoln was putting the bags in the van, and… I walked away for just a few seconds, I…" Her voice caught, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. _"I'm sorry._ _I'm so sorry… it's all my-_ "

"Mr. Loud?"

Four sets of eyes went towards the waiting room door. A woman stood in the doorway, clad in light blue hospital scrubs, a similarly colored cap on top of her head. A white face mask dangled around her neck.

Mr. Loud cleared his throat, stepping forward. "I'm Leonard Loud, and this is my wife Rita." He gestured to Mrs. Loud, who stepped up beside her husband. The two parents gave the doctor their full attention, an almost desperate look in their eyes. "Please… do you have news about our son?"

The doctor took deep breath, her eyes glancing towards Leni and Lori. "Perhaps we could step outside?"

The Loud's shared a worried look, before nodding to the doctor. Mr. Loud followed her out, Mrs. Loud pausing to speak to Leni. She pulled her second oldest to the side, looking her in the eyes. "Leni, sweetie, stay here with Lori. And… try to keep her calm." She whispered the last part, shooting a worried look at Lori, who had returned to staring at the floor.

Leni just barely stopped from asking how she was suppose to do that, simply nodding with a small smile on her face. Mrs. Loud responded with her own fragile smile, before following her husband out the door.

Leni stared after where her parents had disappeared for a few moments, her eyes slowly turning back towards Lori, who still hadn't moved from where she stood.

Leni was completely lost. Comforting sad people wasn't really her thing. Not that she didn't want too, just that she wasn't very good at it. That was more a thing Lincoln was good at, or Luna, or Lori, when she was feeling nice. Plus, this was Lori, her _older_ sister. How exactly do you comfort someone older that you?

Still, Leni was a try-er. If her mother thought she could help Lori, then Leni was going to give it her best shot.

With a small smile (not a big one - there was no real reason to be happy at the moment), Leni took a few steps forward, putting herself right in front of her sister. "Hey, Lori? Hey, uh… how about we sit down while we wait, huh?" Leni reached for Lori's hands and, receiving no resistance, pulled her back to the couch from earlier. They sat down, though Lori seemed to be in some sort of daze, moving stiffly and not really reacting to Leni's words.

Silence stretched on, and Leni started to feel awkward. She was never good with the quiet. Lori was acting so… un-Lori, that Leni was getting uncomfortable. Lori Loud was always moving, always talking, mostly on the phone. She was grumpy, she was irritable, she was protective, she was… Lori. But emotionless? Silent?

Who was this girl, and what did she do with her big sister?

Just when Leni opened her mouth to talk (what about, she still had no idea), Lori's head raised just a little bit. Her blank eyes focused on her folded hands. Leni followed her gaze, when Lori, very slowly, turned over her left hand. There was a small smattering of red dots along her wrist.

Leni tilted her head. _Did some red paint drip on her? Or, did she eat something with ketchup? Wait, no, that can't be it. Lori hates getting messy, she would have washed it off the second it happened. Besides, she wouldn't have had time to eat or anything after Lincoln…_

 _...Oh._ _ **Oh**_ _. Oooohhhh…_

Leni's eyes widened, her mouth falling open a little as she realized what she was looking at. She felt her stomach turn cold and drop. She was so surprised, she almost missed Lori speak.

"The doctors washed my hands when they brought us here." She sounded so _broken_. "But they were in a hurry… to help L-Lincoln." A watery giggle drifted from her lips, though Leni saw no laughter in her eyes as tears trailed down her face. "G-Guess they missed a spot."

Leni's mouth opened and closed uselessly. She was just _lost_. What do you _say_ to that?

 _ **Try to keep her calm.**_

Leni's mouth snapped shut. That's right. Her mother told her to keep Lori calm. She didn't know how to do that, so decided to do what she usually did when she had no clue what to do.

Make it simple.

Lori is upset. Why? Lincoln was hit by a car. Can't do anything about that. What else? Okay, she was quiet before. What made her start crying again? She saw the blood on her hands.

Something clicked in Leni's head. A happy smile formed on her lips. _I can fix that!_

"Well, that's no big deal." She said in her normal tone of voice. She rummaged through her purse for a moment, before her fingers wrapped around what she needed. She pulled out two packets of travel wipes. She tore one open. "Here give me your hand."

Leni grasped Lori's hand and pulled it forward a bit. Lori gave no resistance, but made no move to help either. Leni ignored this, instead gently rubbing the wet cloth over her wrist.

The room fell silent again as Leni ran the cloth over Lori's wrist, the small specs of red slowly starting to fade as Leni kept her eyes on her work.

"...it's my fault."

Leni paused in her cleaning at Lori's quiet words, not quite hearing her. She lifted her head, only to find Lori staring down at her no clean hand. "What was that?"

Lori swallowed. She spoke louder, a waiver in her voice. "It's my fault. It's all my fault."

Leni stared at her for a minute, before looking back down, rubbing at Lori's other wrist. "No it's not."

Her quick denial made Lori look up in surprise, before looking back down guiltily. "Yes it is, Leni."

Leni shook her head. "No, it's not."

Lori looked back up at her. Her eyes narrowed a bit. "Yes, it is."

"Did you want him to get hurt?"

Lori actually flinched back, a look of shock on her face. Leni kept her grip on Lori's wrist, though. "W-Wha… No! Why would you-?"

"Did you push him in front of the car?" Leni cut her off, not looking up.

"Wha- No! No, why would-!?"

"Were you driving the car that hit him?"

"No!" Lori shouted, yanking her bloodless hand out of Leni's grasp, fury in her eyes. Lori was getting angry. That was okay. Leni was used to Angry Lori. The elder Loud sibling glared at the younger. "How could you even ask-?"

Leni's head suddenly snapped up, concerned confusion on her face, her eyes staring straight into Lori's. "Then how is it your fault?"

Lori's breath caught in her throat. Her anger burned out in an instant, the fury in her eyes vanishing at the sight of the concern held in Leni's. She held Leni's stare for a full thirty seconds, before looking away, staring off at nothing.

Leni leaned to the side, trying to make Lori look her in the eyes. "Lori?"

"...he pushed me." Lori murmured.

Leni blinked, certain she'd misheard. "What?"

Lori grimaced, her eyes watering again. "I was standing in the road. The car was going to hit me. Lincoln…" Fresh tears spilled from her eyes. "He pushed me out of the way. He got hurt to keep me from getting hit. He… he got hit because of me." A sob burst from her lips. "He's here because of me."

…

Leni… just stared. She had no response to that. Her poor brain was working overtime, trying to come up with something, anything, she could say to make things right. When nothing came to mind, she did the next best thing.

Scooting over on the couch, Leni wrapped her arms around Lori's waist, pulling her close. The moment Lori felt her front touch Leni's chest, she threw her arms around her younger sister on instinct. She buried her face into Leni's shoulder, muffling her sobs.

Leni, still feeling very lost, started rubbing small circles on Lori's back. She remembered doing the same thing to Lola when the dress obsessed girl burst out crying when she fell into a mud puddle when wearing a brand new dress. It seemed to help Lola then. Maybe it could work with Lori now?

After a few minutes, Leni asked quietly, "You didn't mean for Lincoln to get hurt… right?"

Lori took a shuddering breath. "No. I-I swear I didn't, Leni." She murmured, pulling back a little.

Leni nodded, still a little confused. "Then… It wasn't your fault. It was an accident."

Lori pushed her forehead against Leni's shoulder. "Just because it was an accident doesn't mean it's not my fault, Leni."

Leni frowned, thinking for a moment. "...Lynn broke my nose with a baseball bat once. That was an accident."

A bark of disbelieving laughter pushed past Lori's lips. "That's because you wanted to be umpire, and were standing close to the plate."

Leni shrugged, ignoring the phantom pain in her nose at the memory. "Still, Lynn hurt me, but she didn't mean too. That was an accident."

Lori sighed. "That's not really the same as this, Leni."

Leni tilted her head in confusion. "It's not?"

Lori was still for a moment. Leni was getting concerned, when Lori giggled. A real giggle. "Never change, Leni." She laughed, a hint of fondness in her voice.

Leni was even more confused (what was so funny?), but ignored it. Lori wasn't crying anymore, and didn't seem as sad either. She smiled. She made Lori feel better!

Leni opened her mouth to speak, when she heard footsteps. Lori, hearing them too, pulled away from her sisters hug, and the both of them turned towards the doorway. Leni felt her stomach drop again.

Mr. and Mrs. Loud stepped back into the room. Mr Loud seemed very tired, his shoulders slumped and his lips set in a permanent frown, and Mrs. Loud… just like, Lori, her makeup was quickly starting to run down her face, tears dripping off her chin. Her eyes never left the floor, Mr. Loud keeping an arm around her as he lead her into the room.

"Mom? Daddy?" Lori asked, standing up alongside Leni. She looked between her parents, panic starting to form in her chest as she took in their expressions. "What is it? Is… is Lincoln...?"

Mr. Loud looked to his wife, who was still staring at the ground. He swallowed down his nerves, facing his daughters. "Lincoln just got out of surgery. They got him stitched up and set his leg. They moved him into a room on the other side of the floor."

Leni beamed. Lincoln got through the surgery alright! That was great.

Lori shared her thoughts, a hopeful smile forming on her lips. "That's good, right. When is he going to wake up?" Her new-found hope took a nosedive when both of her parents flinched at her words. "What? What'd I say?"

Mr. Loud hesitated. Glancing around the room briefly. "Lori…"

"What?" Lori took a set forward, pressing a hand to her chest. "Dad, what?"

Mr. Loud stared at Lori, before turning his gaze to Leni, who just looked back in concern and confusion. Suddenly, he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he looked between his eldest daughters, steeling himself. Leni felt a cold sensation at the base of her spine, a feeling that she only had when something really, really bad was about to happen. She hoped she was wrong.

She wasn't.

"Girls… Lincoln is in a coma. They don't know when he'll wake up."

* * *

 **A/n: So… been a bit, hasn't it? Sorry. I actually would have had this up a few weeks ago, except my hard drive decided it was done with this world and corrupted itself, taking pretty much all of my writing with it, including this chapter, notes for future chapters, and a whole bunch of stuff for my other stories, including one that I haven't updated in over a year. (Yes SiW fans, it's not dead, I'm still working at it).**

 **After about a week of trying every trick I know, and a few I recently learned, I had to admit that all my stuff was forever gone. And let me tell you, nothing will kill your muse quicker than knowing you have to rewrite an entire chapter you were just one page away from finishing.**

 **Moral of the story: Always backup your stuff!**

 **Now that my belly-aching is out of the way, I hope you like this chapter, and that I did Leni some justice. Truth be told, I think she's my favorite character, with Lucy sitting at a close second. What can I say, I love the oddballs.**

 **See ya later!**


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